Dust begins to settle at new Collierville Middle School

Students at the new Collierville Middle School hurry to their classes in the wide hallways that are an improvement from the old school building.

After more than a month with 1,750 feet pattering through the halls oblivious to potential scuff marks, Collierville Middle still has that new school smell.

The $15-million school at 585 Quinn opened its door Aug. 6 to 875 children in grades 6-8 who were all winding and weaving the halls headed to the inaugural day in their classroom.

To avoid pandemonium or its potential, Ingrid Warren, who has been principal of the middle school since 1998, worked out a plan with her administration to get parents and children prepped like they were on treasure hunts. Class schedules and maps of the H-shaped school design were sent home. The administration hosted a sneak-a-peek for parents to bring their maps and schedules to chart a course for their children to travel during their five minutes between each class.

"It was the most important thing we could do to get all of us ready for that big day," Warren said. "It worked. First day wasn't nearly as stressful as we all expected it to be."

Now, some six weeks since opening, the school's occupants are settling in a bit. The school held a ribbon-cutting Sunday for the public to come take a peek.

Because of the shape of the 15-acre site north of the U.S. 72 exchange at Bill Morris Parkway, the school was designed like an "H." It gave the school two main hallways on either side of the facility where lockers could be installed without being in the main hallways.

The classrooms in the center are for more active study such as band, choir, science and others.

The showpiece of the school is the gym, with hardwood floors, automated bleachers and room for multiple sports to be practiced at once. Last week, one group of students whacked badminton birdies, while others played basketball, jumped rope or kept a volleyball volleying.

The gym showcases one of Warren's touches — she wanted the middle school to have its own dragon mascot, apart from the high school's dragon.

"We didn't want a baby dragon or one that would be scary and menacing," Warren said as she pointed to the reddish/burgundy dragon with white wings, just enough character in its face to be friendly but not enough to be cloying. After all, it's a dragon.

Even better is the dance 14-year-old Evan Dalton demonstrated for days when he's dressed as the middle school mascot.

Dalton told about how the new school is cool but that what's great is the fact that there's a real dragon costume — and it's his to wear.

"It's the best part of being at school, "Dalton said. "I'm the best dragon."